2 Kings 17 41

2 Kings 17:41 kjv

So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

2 Kings 17:41 nkjv

So these nations feared the LORD, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

2 Kings 17:41 niv

Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

2 Kings 17:41 esv

So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children ? as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

2 Kings 17:41 nlt

So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 41 Meaning

This verse encapsulates the persistent and inheritable syncretism practiced by the foreign peoples settled in Samaria by the Assyrians after the exile of Israel. Despite being taught about the LORD, their fear and acknowledgment of Him remained superficial, rooted in expediency rather than true devotion. They continued to serve their own ancestral idols alongside a nominal reverence for Yahweh, passing this corrupted worship through generations, illustrating an incomplete and unholy mixture of divine truth with pagan practices that endured "even to this day."

2 Kings 17 41 Context

2 Kings 17 describes the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel due to their persistent sin and idolatry, leading to their Assyrian captivity. After the deportation of the Israelites, the Assyrian king settled various foreign peoples in Samaria (v. 24). These new inhabitants faced attacks by lions, which they attributed to not knowing "the custom of the god of the land" (v. 26). In response, an exiled Israelite priest was sent back to teach them how to "fear the LORD" (v. 27-28). However, this instruction resulted in a syncretistic religion, not true monotheistic worship. The previous verses (2 Kgs 17:32-40) detail how these peoples each made their own gods from their former homelands and placed them in the high places built by the Samaritans, serving their carved images while also attempting to serve the LORD. Verse 41 serves as a concluding lament, stating that this corrupted, dual worship continued unchecked through generations. This historical backdrop explains the future Jewish animosity towards the Samaritans (e.g., in Ezra and Nehemiah, and later in the New Testament), who were viewed as ethnically mixed and religiously defiled through their persistent idolatrous practices.

2 Kings 17 41 Word analysis

• So these nations (וַיִּהְיוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, vayyiheyu hagoyim ha'elleh): "Nations" (goyim) refers to the various gentile peoples relocated from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim (2 Kgs 17:24). It denotes their foreign origin and identity, distinct from Israel.

• feared the LORD (יִרְאִים אֶת יְהוָה, yire'im et YHWH): "Feared" (yire'im) means to hold in awe or dread. However, this fear was pragmatic and superstitious, primarily a response to immediate physical threat (the lions, v. 25-26), not a reverence rooted in covenant love, understanding, and exclusive worship. They saw Yahweh as merely a powerful local deity whose anger needed appeasing, rather than the singular, sovereign Creator.

• and also served (וַיַּעַבְדוּ, vaya'avdu): "Served" implies active worship and allegiance. The conjunction "and also" emphasizes the duality and conflict inherent in their religious practice—serving two masters simultaneously.

• their carved images (אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, eloheihhem): This refers to "their gods" or "their idols," which were physical representations or spiritual entities associated with their former lands. It highlights the continued devotion to pagan deities alongside their nominal fear of the LORD. This directly violates God's commands against idolatry.

• their children likewise and their children's children (בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם, bneihem u'bnei bneihem): This phrase highlights the intergenerational transmission of religious practice. The children and grandchildren adopted the same syncretistic approach as their parents, demonstrating the strong pull of cultural and family traditions, even when those traditions are contrary to divine truth.

• continue to do as their fathers did (כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָם, ka'asher asu avotam): Emphasizes the unbroken continuity of their mixed religious practices. There was no reform or repentance. The pattern of syncretism was firmly established and maintained.

• even to this day (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, 'ad hayyom hazzeh): A common refrain in historical biblical narratives. It stresses the longevity and enduring consequence of the described actions. For the original audience, it validated the contemporary religious distinctiveness and perceived corruption of the Samaritans, providing a historical explanation for their spiritual condition up to the time the Book of Kings was written.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "feared the LORD and also served their carved images": This powerful antithetical pairing is the crux of the verse. It depicts superficial obedience and divided allegiance. It is the very definition of syncretism, revealing a religion based on human reasoning (to avoid calamity) rather than divine revelation (exclusive worship). They honored Yahweh's name externally while rejecting His exclusive demands internally.
  • "their children likewise and their children's children continue to do as their fathers did, even to this day": This phrase underlines the deep entrenchment and enduring legacy of this spiritual compromise. It became an inherited condition, demonstrating how religious traditions, even erroneous ones, can perpetuate through generations and resist change. This shows the tragic result of spiritual lukewarmness and incomplete teaching.

2 Kings 17 41 Bonus section

• The nature of "fear" described here is fundamentally different from the "fear of the LORD" extolled in Wisdom literature (e.g., Prov 9:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"). The former is a superstitious dread, while the latter is reverential awe leading to obedience and understanding of God's character.
• This historical account offers insight into the centuries-long conflict between Jews and Samaritans, clearly demonstrating the religious divergence. The Jews who returned from Babylonian exile refused Samaritan participation in rebuilding the temple largely because of this history of mixed worship and non-exclusive loyalty to Yahweh (e.g., Ezra 4).
• The persistence "even to this day" reflects a major theme in Deuteronomistic history: the long-term consequences of covenant breaking. It signifies that divine judgment and the human response (or lack thereof) have lasting impacts that shape peoples and their destiny.
• This verse provides a profound biblical caution against religious syncretism in any form. It is a reminder that nominal acknowledgment of God coupled with continued adherence to other loyalties (idols, worldly values, personal desires) is ultimately rejected by God, who demands exclusive worship and a undivided heart.

2 Kings 17 41 Commentary

2 Kings 17:41 provides a concise, devastating summary of the spiritual condition of the peoples resettled in Samaria. Their "fear of the LORD" was pragmatic and external, motivated by an understanding that Yahweh was a regional deity whose wrath, manifested in lions, needed appeasing. It was not a true, heartfelt reverence rooted in knowing and loving God alone. This pseudo-fear allowed them to comfortably maintain their own inherited idolatrous practices, resulting in a system of worship where Yahweh was merely added to their pantheon of gods. This inherent spiritual compromise, a violation of the first two commandments, became firmly ingrained. The enduring phrase "even to this day" highlights the sad reality that this generational spiritual lukewarmness and division remained, establishing the lasting religious distinctiveness of the Samaritans and serving as a poignant warning against attempting to serve God and idols simultaneously. It underscores that God demands exclusive, unadulterated worship, not a shared loyalty.